Olympic Peninsula Report

[yubaman]

We managed to get most of our trip in this year, but I think we achieved a PhD in Travel Management in order to do so. While we were there, Washington went to full Shelter in Place and their Governor closed all rivers to recreational fishing at the end of Wednesday. That ended their Steelhead season. Our decision to drive up to Washington on Friday had us on the river Sunday, so we were able to get 4 days in. After getting washed out of two planned Eel trip earlier, we just had to get this one in. We packed a bunched of hand sanitizer and wipes with us.

As I said, we head out mid-day on Friday. We make it to the Kalaloch Lodge, on the OP, at the end of the day on Saturday. We were going to spend 3 nights there, but when we get there the restaurant is closed, and they are shutting down the lodge on Tuesday morning, so we only get 2 nights there. We call the hotel we were heading to next and add an extra day there. When we arrive there that evening, they let us know they will be closing down in 2 days!!!! Next we find a house that we can rent for the remainder of the trip. On top of it, the damn guy had put up a Seahawks logo on the side of his garage that we had to look at everyday. So you get the drift, no pun intended, completely scrambling for lodging. As here, all restaurants were take out only. We ended up doing a lot of our own cooking anyways.

The fishing was ok for the trip. We were able to put 2 days in on the Queets and 2 days in on the Ho. There were 3 of us on the trip. On day one, one of our gang had a big day, and went 5 for 10! The others of us were 0 for 2. The rest of the days, we generally had 3 hookups and landed one or two. All in all, it was slower than most years had been. We each got into at least one large ( 17lb - 20 lb) fish, but only 1 was landed between us. Some great fights though, just Mr. Steel prevailed.

They are finally getting some more weather up there. The rivers were getting low and a little too clear for optimal conditions. But with the closure, now it's onto next year.

Here are a few pictures . . .

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It is wonderful that all that wilderness still exists.......excellent adventure.

[STEELIES/26c3]

We managed to get most of our trip in this year, but I think we achieved a PhD in Travel Management in order to do so. While we were there, Washington went to full Shelter in Place and their Governor closed all rivers to recreational fishing at the end of Wednesday. That ended their Steelhead season. Our decision to drive up to Washington on Friday had us on the river Sunday, so we were able to get 4 days in. After getting washed out of two planned Eel trip earlier, we just had to get this one in. We packed a bunched of hand sanitizer and wipes with us.

As I said, we head out mid-day on Friday. We make it to the Kalaloch Lodge, on the OP, at the end of the day on Saturday. We were going to spend 3 nights there, but when we get there the restaurant is closed, and they are shutting down the lodge on Tuesday morning, so we only get 2 nights there. We call the hotel we were heading to next and add an extra day there. When we arrive there that evening, they let us know they will be closing down in 2 days!!!! Next we find a house that we can rent for the remainder of the trip. On top of it, the damn guy had put up a Seahawks logo on the side of his garage that we had to look at everyday. So you get the drift, no pun intended, completely scrambling for lodging. As here, all restaurants were take out only. We ended up doing a lot of our own cooking anyways.

The fishing was ok for the trip. We were able to put 2 days in on the Queets and 2 days in on the Ho. There were 3 of us on the trip. On day one, one of our gang had a big day, and went 5 for 10! The others of us were 0 for 2. The rest of the days, we generally had 3 hookups and landed one or two. All in all, it was slower than most years had been. We each got into at least one large ( 17lb - 20 lb) fish, but only 1 was landed between us. Some great fights though, just Mr. Steel prevailed.

They are finally getting some more weather up there. The rivers were getting low and a little too clear for optimal conditions. But with the closure, now it's onto next year.

Here are a few pictures . . .

Way to insist on making it happen...

[yubaman]

It's pretty much what it came to. We all cancelled our flights into Portland with the big question mark on air travel. We just felt better off knowing we were in charge of our own travel by driving up. Besides, who wanted to jump on a plane at this point? The drag was hitting the big 6-0 birthday up there and not having a bar to knock a few down in. We did find an alternative social optionhowever.

[STEELIES/26c3]

It's pretty much what it came to. We all cancelled our flights into Portland with the big question mark on air travel. We just felt better off knowing we were in charge of our own travel by driving up. Besides, who wanted to jump on a plane at this point? The drag was hitting the big 6-0 birthday up there and not having a bar to knock a few down in. We did find an alternative social optionhowever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER!
60 is the new 40 so you got 50+ more years of steelheading :)
and I saw what you did there...
Wildwood flower grew wild on the farm and we didn't know what it was called...

[Mark Stinson]

Did you nymph all 4 days?

[yubaman]

Yep, no swinging.

[BS]

We managed to get most of our trip in this year, but I think we achieved a PhD in Travel Management in order to do so. While we were there, Washington went to full Shelter in Place and their Governor closed all rivers to recreational fishing at the end of Wednesday. That ended their Steelhead season. Our decision to drive up to Washington on Friday had us on the river Sunday, so we were able to get 4 days in. After getting washed out of two planned Eel trip earlier, we just had to get this one in. We packed a bunched of hand sanitizer and wipes with us.

As I said, we head out mid-day on Friday. We make it to the Kalaloch Lodge, on the OP, at the end of the day on Saturday. We were going to spend 3 nights there, but when we get there the restaurant is closed, and they are shutting down the lodge on Tuesday morning, so we only get 2 nights there. We call the hotel we were heading to next and add an extra day there. When we arrive there that evening, they let us know they will be closing down in 2 days!!!! Next we find a house that we can rent for the remainder of the trip. On top of it, the damn guy had put up a Seahawks logo on the side of his garage that we had to look at everyday. So you get the drift, no pun intended, completely scrambling for lodging. As here, all restaurants were take out only. We ended up doing a lot of our own cooking anyways.

The fishing was ok for the trip. We were able to put 2 days in on the Queets and 2 days in on the Ho. There were 3 of us on the trip. On day one, one of our gang had a big day, and went 5 for 10! The others of us were 0 for 2. The rest of the days, we generally had 3 hookups and landed one or two. All in all, it was slower than most years had been. We each got into at least one large ( 17lb - 20 lb) fish, but only 1 was landed between us. Some great fights though, just Mr. Steel prevailed.

They are finally getting some more weather up there. The rivers were getting low and a little too clear for optimal conditions. But with the closure, now it's onto next year.

Here are a few pictures . . .

Thank you for your trip report and pictures.

The only thing missing was "For the drive home, a small Thermos of ..........." ;);)


Seriously though, as I replied in John H's Lower Sac report/post, this is great "escape" from the troubling times we're all experiencing. :cool::cool:

I do appreciate you taking the time to share your trip with us !!! :cool::cool:



Bob

[yubaman]

Bob,

You're right about that! . . . the Thermos.

[PV_Premier]

Next year, I am bound and determined to make this trip happen. Unless I am able to get a visitors visa to NZ by February...in which case it will be a tough decision.

[yubaman]

We are always looking for a 4th if you want to keep that in mind for 2021? We have been down to 3 the last 2 years after one of our buddies past away from cancer in 2018. We do spend out time indicator fishing.

I have been down to NZ 3 times in the last 4 years as that is where my Dad was from. I have many relatives down there. We were down in February of this year, just as COVID-19 was hitting. If they lift their 14 day visitor quarantine by then, it'll be no problem. The new NZ ETA visa only takes a couple of days for them to process and only about 10 minutes to fill out online.

My sister is actually a dual citizen as she was born in NZ. Sadly, she decided to travel on her NZ passport, she thought this would be "cool". When coming back into the US, just as COVID-19 was exploding, she had to wait 3 hours in the Customs line as she was a "foreign" traveler because she had used her NZ passport. Gotta come back with the same passport you went out on! The rest of us sailed on through the US Customs line. Uber is a great thing (for her that day)!

Bob